Tire Kingdom Sues Local Now Chapter

October 7, 1995|By ELLEN FORMAN Business Writer

Tire Kingdom has filed suit against a local chapter of the National Organization for Women and leaders of women's groups, saying that the group has damaged its reputation by protesting against the company's hiring practices.

The lawsuit, filed last Saturday, sought a temporary injunction against demonstrations at two Dade County Tire Kingdom retail locations and the company's Riviera Beach headquarters. That injunction was not granted, and the suit seeks a permanent injunction and damages as well.

Tire Kingdom's lawsuit, filed in Dade County Circuit Court, names Julia Dawson, president of North Miami NOW, Linda Nelson, a former Tire Kingdom assistant manager who sued the company for sex discrimination, and other individuals and groups including 9to5, the National Association of Working Women.

The suit says that Nelson was terminated for misconduct and denies she was the victim of sex discrimination. It also said that the women's groups had interfered with the company's businesses. Tire Kingdom chief executive Chuck Curcio said the company sued the group because its members had threatened to interfere with the company's business.

"People try to extort money and spread lies about the company we think are malicious lies, and we're suing them for having done it," he said. NOW's Dawson said, "This is a frivilous lawsuit designed to intimidate and discourage us."She said that her group would continue in its plan to mail information on Tire Kingdom's discriminatory employment practices to members of other women's organizations. "We intend to have an ongoing campaign to get the word out to as many people as possible," she said.

In late September, NOW went public with charges that Tire Kingdom hired few women and discriminated against them in hiring for managerial jobs. Tire Kingdom said that it maintains a policy of equal employment.